Press Kit

Full Artist Bio:

Michael Merriam is an actor, author, poet, playwright, and professional storyteller. He has published three novels, two short story collections, four single-title novellas, a poetry collection, and over 90 pieces of short fiction and poetry. He has edited three anthologies. His novella, Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep, was long-listed for the Nebula Award in 2010, and his novel, Last Car to Annwn Station, was named a Top Book in 2011 by Readings in Lesbian & Bisexual Women’s Fiction.

His plays have been produced by Gadfly Theater Company for their Final Frontier Theater Festival and by Word Sprout Productions for the Not So Silent Planet Planetfest Theater Festival. As a storyteller and spoken-word performer, Michael tells personal narratives with an emphasis on disability, stories of the fantastic, reworked folk tales, and anything else that strikes his fancy. He has appeared on stage in the Minnesota Fringe Festival, Tellebration!, and StoryFest Minnesota, Story SlamMN! and over the air on KFAI and Minnesota Public Radio.

Michael is Organizer Emeritus of the Minnesota Speculative Fiction Writers and a member of the Artists with Disabilities Alliance, the Steampunk Artists and Writers Guild, and Story Arts Minnesota.

Like most artists, Michael has worked a variety of odd jobs over the years, including as a musician in a rock-a-billy band, short order cook, freight logistics manager, and the booking agent for a puppet troupe. In 2003, after being laid off and declared legally blind, Michael began telling stories both on the page and on the stage. www.michaelmerriam.com

Author Bio:

Michael Merriam is a speculative fiction author living in Minnesota. He has published three novels, two short story collections, four single-title novellas, a poetry collection, and over 90 pieces of short fiction and poetry. He has edited three anthologies. His novella, Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep, was long-listed for the Nebula Award in 2010, and his novel, Last Car to Annwn Station was named a Top Book in 2011 by Readings in Lesbian & Bisexual Women’s Fiction. Michael is Organizer Emeritus of the Minnesota Speculative Fiction Writers and a member of the Artists with Disabilities Alliance, the Steampunk Artists and Writers Guild, and Story Arts Minnesota. Visit his homepage at www.michaelmerriam.com

Theatre Bio:

Michael Merriam is an actor, playwright, and spoken-word artist living in Hopkins, MN. Michael tells personal narratives with an emphasis on disability, stories of the fantastic, reworked folk tales, and anything else that strikes his fancy. His plays have been produced by Gadfly Theater Company for their Final Frontier Theater Festival and by Word Sprout Productions for the Not So Silent Planet Planetfest Theater Festival.

He has appeared on stage in the Minnesota Fringe Festival, Tellebration!, StoryFest Minnesota, Story SlamMN!, with the RockStar Storytellers, and over the air on KFAI 90.3FM and Minnesota Public Radio. Michael competed in the Story SlamMN’s Grand Slam in 2013. Michael attended in Ward Rubrect’s Slam Storytelling Workshop in 2012 and Nancy Donoval’s Storytelling Workshop in 2008. He is a member of Story Arts of Minnesota.

Michael is available for Book Fairs, Festivals, Conferences, Conventions, and Workshops. Please send all inquiries to mmerriam@gmail.com